Eating Disorder Psychology

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Eating disorders are emotional disorders that have psychological, behavioral, and physical manifestations of which body weight is only one [ of them ] (Rodenbough). The two most common forms of an eating disorder are anorexia which means, “no appetite” (Schwirzer) and bulimia which means they “purge away any excess calories by making themselves vomit” (Leutwyler). According to the Eating Disorders Program of New York Presbyterian Hospital, “The mortality rate [ of people with eating disorders living ] after 10 years is 6.6%” (qtd. in Leutwyler). Along with getting an eating disorder, serious health conditions and beginning to feel self-loathing can occur. In the models who develop eating disorders, there’s a sizeable percentage that have little …show more content…
There is no one cause for eating disorders, but rather an interplay of causes that can summed up into three categories: psychological, biological, and cultural (Schwirzer). The psychological and biological causes of an eating disorder can be promoted by childhood abuse, sexual abuse (Schwirzer), and personality type (Wiginton). These factors are linked to models getting anorexia or bulimia because they are not content with their bodies and start to have anxiety about who they are. Models with an eating disorder have an irrational fear of gaining extra calories so they refuse to eat and develop abnormally low body weight as a result …show more content…
These health conditions can affect the model’s well-being and jeopardize their career on the runway. A common risk of anorexia and bulimia is osteoporosis, due to a decrease in bone density (Wigington). Not getting enough nutrients in the body because of vomiting or not eating results to weak bones, thus increasing complications. “It used to be that one of the criteria was that you had to have had missed a period or suffered from amenorrhea for three months” (qtd. in Leutwyler) which can also cause trouble conceiving children later in life (Wigington). The side effect, amenorrhea, from anorexia or bulimia not only endangers the victim with the eating disorder, but can increase chances of conceiving undernourished babies or no children at all. Another common effect that will happen in many models with an eating disorder is to use unnatural weight control methods like laxatives, self-induced vomiting, and fasting (Rodenbough). A model could be tempted to take these abnormal weight loss options because it will make them appear more prominently slender and to prevent themselves from being “obese”. Anorexics tend to be good students, dedicated athletes and perfectionists- and so it makes some sense that in dieting, too, they are highly disciplined. In contrast, bulimics and binge eaters are typically outgoing and adventurous, prone to impulsive behaviors